[phpBB Debug] PHP Notice: in file /viewtopic.php on line 988: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'Europe/Moscow' for 'MSK/3.0/no DST' instead[phpBB Debug] PHP Notice: in file /viewtopic.php on line 988: getdate(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'Europe/Moscow' for 'MSK/3.0/no DST' insteadSolaraGuy.com • View topic - Fixing the blind spot

Hello from LA, where I am being terrorized off the menacing roads where I drive my sweet little Miata and have found that the Solara is the perfect solution. (I have my eyes on a 2006 SLE--a convertible is the only way to deal with the traffic here.)

Except...the blind spot. I am short and it's particularly brutal, I noticed during the test drive. I see some suggestions on this board about how to deal with it but I'm not sure I understand. Can someone spell it out for me--and lead me to someone in the LA area (I live downtown) who might be able to help?

You get used to it pretty quickly. You learn to get all the mirrors adjusted just right to cover everything when the top is up, and with the top down there's not much of a problem. With the SLE you have that nice 8 way seat too so you can sit high up. For the first month you'll wish you could just chop off the rear headrests, then you pretty much forget about them.

^^^Even though she uses her turn signal correctly I JUST GOTTA send that to my wife.....which would infuriate her more.....which would make the joke even MORE AWESOME! Meh, never said I was the perfect husband...

Lisa, there's been alotta online complaints about the rear blind spot since the Generation 2 convertibles first came out. And I really never understood it (being 6ft) until my wife (5'4") rented one IN JERSEY so now I understand. As Mr. Down said, she moved the seat up to max and had no problem. So a test drive is definitely in order to get a hands-on experience, so don't be shy and crank that seat to it's limit if need be.

Also, the rear headrests are not removeable--they're welded--because they actually serve not only as a headrest for your backseat passengers but also serve as a rollover bar in case of accidents. I've read cases of people actually taking a hacksaw to their brand new Solara to remedy the problem but do not (I repeat, DO NOT) entertain this idea.

I was driving around in Florida a couple years ago, and I saw a convertible that has no rear head rests. He pulled into a store, and I followed to talk to him about it. He had a company in Rhode Island remove the headrests and re-upholster the seat back. It was a nice, clean look, and it was something that I had considered, even though I'm 6'4".

I understand that the seat back is part of the overall safety roll-cage for the vehicle, but if I'm ever in the position where I'll need to rely on the roll bar to save me, I'm already screwed.

At the time I was unemployed (a good reason for a road trip to FL), and the expense wasn't in the budget, at this time it still may be done, but since I've lived with them so far, I'll probably continue on as is, always wishing I cut the damn things off.